Battle Scion

Often referred to as ‘arcane paladins’, battle scions are highly trained, uniquely dedicated, and supremely disciplined. Primarily warriors, battle scions spend countless hours engaged in combat training. They are also tireless in their search for arcane knowledge that can enhance their battle prowess through magic. Almost single-minded in their determination to master both arms and the arcane, battle scions feel equally at home on the field of battle or in musty, long-forgotten libraries.

Role: Battle scions are highly competent warriors, skilled in a wide variety of weapons and martial tactics. They also spend significant amounts of time locked in magical study and research in order to master a handful of spells and other arcane abilities which aid them both in and out of combat.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (140 gp average.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the battle scion.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Battle scions are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields). Due to their highly specialized training, battle scions can cast arcane spells while wearing any type of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.

A multiclass battle scion incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Force Blast (Sp)

The battle scion can unleash a single blast of arcane force targeting a foe within 60 feet as a ranged touch attack. The force blast deals 2d4 points of damage at 1st level plus an additional 1d4 points of damage for every three battle scion levels beyond 1st (3d4 at 4th, 4d4 at 7th, 5d4 at 10th, and so on). This is a force effect.

For purposes of overcoming spell resistance with his force blast, the battle scion’s caster level is equal to his full battle scion level. A battle scion can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. Using force blast is a standard action.

Arcane Aura (Su)

Beginning at 2nd level, a battle scion gains a +1 deflection bonus to his AC and a +1 insight bonus to hit with his force blast. These bonuses increases by +1 for every four battle scion levels beyond 2nd.

Combat Casting (Ex)

Spell Casting

Beginning at 4th level, a battle scion gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells which are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. A battle scion must choose and prepare his spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, a battle scion must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a battle scion’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the battle scion’s Intelligence modifier.

A battle scion can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Battle Scion. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

A battle scion may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the battle scion decides which spells to prepare.

Through 3rd level, a battle scion has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his battle scion level –3.

Cantrips Battle scions can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Battle Scion in the Spells per Day column. These spells are cast normally, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Spellbooks Beginning at 4th level, a battle scion’s prior arcane research allows him to create a spellbook. A battle scion must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook, except for read magic, which all battle scions learn to prepare from memory at 4th level.

The battle scion’s new spellbook initially contains all 0-level cantrips plus two 1st-level arcane spells of his choice. The battle scion also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new battle scion level after 4th, he gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new battle scion level) for his spellbook. At any time, a battle scion can also add spells found in a wizard’s or other battle scion’s spellbook to his own.

Fighter Training

The battle scion may choose a fighter-only feat whenever he can normally choose a new feat. He must meet all other prerequisites the feat might have. Through 3rd level, a battle scion has no effective fighter level and may not select feats reserved for fighters. At 4th level and higher, the battle scion has an effective fighter level equal to his battle scion level –3 for purposes of determining eligibility for fighter-only feats. If he also has levels in fighter, these levels stack.

Dweomer Weapon (Su)

Upon reaching 5th level, the battle scion may enhance his weapon as a standard action by focusing innate arcane power into the weapon. A dweomered weapon sheds light as a torch. At 5th level, this dweomer grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus, which lasts for 1 minute per battle scion level. For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.

The bonus and properties granted are determined when the weapon is dweomered and cannot be changed until dweomered again. The dweomer imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the battle scion but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the battle scion. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. A battle scion can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.

Bonus Feats

At 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, a battle scion gains a bonus feat. At each such opportunity, he may choose a metamagic feat or a combat feat. The battle scion must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums. These bonus feats are in addition to the feats that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. The battle scion is not limited to metamagic or combat feats when choosing those feats.

Spell Tactician (Su)

Beginning at 7th level, a battle scion learns how to use spells more effectively in combat. The bonus to concentration checks a battle scion receives from the Combat Casting feat increases to +6. At 11th level, this bonus increases to +8.

Beginning at 9th level, a battle scion may cast one prepared arcane spell per round as a swift action. Only spells with a casting time of a standard action or less and a range of personal may be cast in this way. A battle scion can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier.

At 13th level, the battle scion may apply any one metamagic feat he knows to a spell he is about to cast without using a higher level spell slot. The battle scion may use this ability once per day at 13th level and one additional time per day for every two battle scion levels beyond 13th.

Armor Training (Ex)

At 8th level, a battle scion learns eldritch tricks to improve his ability to maneuver while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. Every four levels thereafter (12th, 15th, and 18th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.

In addition, a battle scion can move at his normal speed while wearing medium or heavy armor.

Master Scion (Su)

Beginning at 20th level, the battle scion’s caster level and effective fighter level becomes equal to his full battle scion level instead of his battle scion level –3. In addition, whenever a battle scion successfully confirms a critical hit, he may also cast any one spell he has prepared as an immediate action. The spell must include the target of the critical hit as one of its targets or in its area of effect. Casting this spell does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The battle scion must still meet all of the spell’s requirements.